The Crimson Shadow
by Ailleann
Summary: Another take on Hades's abduction and marriage of Persephone.
1. The Meeting

                "Persephone!" The nymph's call rang down the field. Just over the next hill, a young woman's head rose in response to the call. Sighing, she pushed herself to her feet and away from the earth that was warm from the midday sun. Unconsciously, her fingers rubbed in the loose dirt and left her fingers dirty. As she ambled slowly back up the hill, she rubbed the dirt absently between her fingers.

                As she topped the rise, the fifty nymphs below her gave a simultaneous excited squeal. She narrowly stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Although she was fond of her companions, sometimes they were just too. . .enthusiastic. "Persephone!" Adamantia called excitedly. "We found a lovely new flower!"

                Persephone's eyes lit up. Above all things, she loved the earth and its creations. She hurried down the hill as the nymphs chattered excitedly and pointed toward the far edge of the meadow. If she strained her eyes, Persephone could just see a single flower of startling white against the green of the grass. "Wait here," she murmured to Adamantia, who promptly took the other nymphs in hand and left Persephone to cross the field alone.

                In seconds she was standing over the flower. Up close, it was even more beautiful. The petals were purest white, but if she looked closely enough it seemed as if there was a crimson shadow beneath the white. Fascinated, she knelt and brushed the velvety petals with one fingertip, leaving a smudge of dirt behind. Frowning slightly, she tried to gently brush off the dirt.

                "Don't bother, lady." The voice was like black samite against her skin, and unconsciously she shivered even as she started. She turned to face the man behind her, frowning slightly. She hadn't even heard him approach. And obviously neither had her companions, otherwise they would have alerted her.

                She stifled a gasp as soon as she saw him. He was clothed in a black robe and his feet were bare. His hair was like darkest night, and tousled as if he had run his hands through it repeatedly. His skin was a warm golden color, as if he were in the sun a great deal. But it was his eyes that caught and held her. They were like shards of obsidian, but there was no glitter to them. They were flat and cold and dead.

                Persephone swallowed hard. He looked fairly young, but then so did all the gods. He wore no beard, which was odd. Usually men—whether mortal or not—had a beard. Yet he obviously scorned the practice. She idly wondered why even as she shivered. He was handsome, but there was something about him that made her uneasy. "Sir?" she said hesitantly. "Do I know you? You are obviously one of the deathless gods, yet I do not know you."

                He studied her in frozen silence. She tried not to fidget, really she did, but she couldn't help it. Her fingers brushed against the dirt and anxiously rubbed it between her fingers as she waited for his response. Finally he said in that deep voice, "I am Hades, little one. Lord of the Underworld."

                She couldn't suppress her gasp and the leap of fear. She started to kneel, and abruptly realized she already was. Instead she dipped her head and held it there, unwilling to so boldly meet his eyes now that she knew who he was. "Forgive me, my lord," she gasped.

                Cool fingers gently gripped her chin and tilted her head so her eyes met his. "There is nothing to forgive, little one," he said softly, his dark eyes intense. Her mouth opened soundlessly, mesmerized by his eyes and the strange effect that his voice had on her.

                It seemed that they stared at one another in silence for forever. Finally she dared to whisper, "Why have you come here, my lord?" Her eyes searched his, acutely feeling his cool hands still on her face.

                He released her slowly and took her hand to help her to her feet. "Will you walk with me?" he murmured, ignoring her question. She shivered. Despite his bleak, slightly frightening appearance, his voice was touchable and sensual. It was like the softest samite sliding over her skin, or the finest wine warming her blood.

                Studying his emotionless face, she obeyed him. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that her companions were nowhere to be seen. She felt an immediate spurt of panic, which he obviously sensed. "Your companions are all quite well, Lady Persephone. I've stopped time for them so that we may speak in complete privacy."

                _All the better to ravish me_, she thought caustically, immediately shielding the unruly thought. She shot a sideways glance at Hades as they slowly walked. "You are of age to be married, aren't you?" he asked suddenly, not looking at her.

                Alarm bells jangled loudly in her head. "Yes," she said cautiously. "I am not sure what my mother wants to do about my marriage. We have not spoken of it."

                "What do _you _want to do about your marriage?" he countered, his eyes resolutely not looking at her.

                She blinked, startled. No one had ever asked her what she desired in life. Although she loved her mother, sometimes Demeter was a little…overbearing. She rarely asked Persephone's opinion on anything, and Persephone had never really considered that her opinion would have any merit with _anyone. _As a result, she had become a solitary soul. Although she had her companions—at her mother's wish—and she was fond of them, she was more than content to be alone a great deal of the time. "I don't know," she said slowly. "I have never given it a great deal of thought."

                His head turned toward her, and she sensed his dark eyes studying her contemplatively. Now it was she who averted her eyes and stared at her sandals. "Why is that?" he murmured, and she felt pleasure tighten up her stomach for a moment. His voice was just so very. . .sensual. She couldn't help but react to it.

                Instead of dwelling on the effect that his voice had on her, she answered his question. "My mother will do what she pleases," she said with a shrug and a small smile. "And I trust her judgment. So there is no reason for me to worry about it."

                "Indeed," he murmured. "But I am not sure what I think about that thought, my lady. Do you not care about your future?"

                She smiled slightly and watched as a bird nudged one of its chicks out of the nest. The chick shrieked wildly and flapped its wings frantically and soon found itself aloft. She felt a smile quirk her lips as she watched him circle the tree several times. "I care, of course," she told him, her gaze still on the birds. "But I am still a maid, my lord. My mother will know what is best." Although she believed what she told him, in the darkest nights sometimes she resented her mother's complete control over her. She had never even seen a man until now. She had never been around her father, or even around the other gods too much. Her mother had always feared that the gods would be incensed by her beauty and Persephone would be forced to be a mistress instead of a wife.

                When the little bird flew away, she smiled and turned to face Hades, her eyes alight with pleasure. She found him watching her, his eyes contemplative and dark. She immediately felt a hot blush rise to her cheeks and ducked her head. Immediately she felt his fingers on her face as he raised her eyes to his again. "Do not ever be ashamed, little one," he murmured. "You are a precious gift, and any man would be lucky to have you."

                She bit lip, staring up at him. "Even you?" she asked boldly, then her eyes flew wide and she clapped her hands over her mouth in mortification. Oh where had that come from? She moaned to herself, her stricken eyes staring up at his surprised face. Why did I say that? Fool, she raged. A thousand times of a fool! But even as she raged at herself, she waited for his answer with bated breath.

                "Yes," he said slowly. "Even me." Then, to her surprise, she saw one corner of his mouth turn upward in something resembling a smile. Her hands dropped from her mouth in surprise. From his appearance and serious demeanor she got the impression that he rarely, if ever, smiled. Knowing that she had made him smile made her heart flutter, and an answering grin curved her lips. They smiled at one another for a few precious seconds before Persephone realized that they had stopped walking. Immediately she started strolling again, and he caught up with her in seconds, his longer stride eating up the distance between them.

                He held out his arm to her, and she smiled up at him, trust shining in her brilliant blue eyes. She linked her arm through his and they walked in silence, merely listening to the earth. "It has been a long time since I came to the surface," he mused aloud, his voice soft.

                She glanced up at him in surprise. "Oh, my lord! Why?" she asked, distress bright in her voice.

                He glanced down at her, slightly puzzled. "Why does this distress you so, my lady?"

                She blinked up at him. "Because!"

                He didn't smile, although she thought she saw a glimmer of amusement in his dark eyes. "That was certainly enlightening," he said mildly, and she huffed at him before she caught herself.

                "Because the earth is life," she said fervently. "It is joy and truth and. . .light."

                She felt rather than saw him go cold. He gently withdrew her arm from his and took a small step away. "But I am none of those things, my lady," he said coldly. "I am darkness and death. That is my realm and that is me."

                She cocked her head slightly to one side to study him in silence as he stared, his eyes dead and still again. "I don't believe you," she said slowly. "You are not like that."

                "You lie to yourself," he said icily. "Do not think otherwise, my lady. It would be dangerous indeed for you to delude yourself into thinking that I am any of those things that you just described."

                "Nothing is all darkness," she said seriously. "And nothing is always light. There is a shadow to the sun, and there is a candle in the darkness, my lord. And death is not such a bad thing."

                His lips tightened. "You speak of things of which you know nothing about," he said, his voice clipped and hard. "You have not ever seen death, my lady, otherwise you would have a very different view of it."

                She nodded her head. "I have never seen death," she admitted. "You are correct. But it is a final peace, isn't it? Not unlike sleep."

                He hesitated. "The dead are not kind, little one," he said, his voice low. "They are not gentle shades of night. They drink blood and have no knowledge of their former lives unless prodded."

                Tears sprang to Persephone's eyes at the bleak and terrifying picture that he painted. "How horrible," she breathed, surreptiously wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "So lonely," she whispered. "I wonder how they stand it."

                He watched her in silence. "Luckily you will never have to know," he murmured. "I would never want you to be one of those miserable shades, my lady."

                She shivered delicately. "Nor I." She studied him sadly. "Does it hurt you to see them?"

                "No," he said coldly. "I have lived millennia among them. It does not bother me."

                She hesitated, almost believing him. She turned to look at him again. Despite that he seemed warm and tanned, he seemed out of place among the new sprung trees and blooming flowers. He hadn't lied, she admitted to herself. He _was _darkness, and it wasn't just his appearance. There was something in his demeanor and his eyes that made it impossible for him to be light. But for all that, he wasn't evil. She knew it in her bones just as surely as she knew that she wasn't evil either. There was something about him that intrigued her, piqued her interest. Maybe it was because there was a loneliness that shrouded him just as surely as his black robe did. And that aroused her compassion and empathy. She could feel the sting of loneliness sometimes herself. How must it be then for him?

                She set her jaw and stepped forward to link her arm through his again. He blinked down at her, startled. When she very gently prodded him forward, he walked forward with her, seemingly deep in thought. Persephone was content to let him think and try to puzzle her out. She wasn't in a hurry—the sun was warm and the feel of his arm through hers was pleasant.

 It seemed like no time at all before she realized that somehow they had come full circle and were once more standing beside the white flower. But now there was a black chariot standing beside it, with a pair of matched black stallions pawing irritably at the ground. She gasped and looked up at Hades. "Is this how you arrived here?"

                "The Lord of the Dead must travel in style," he said, dead-pan, and she laughed. She saw surprise flare in his eyes for a moment, then it was swiftly hidden. "Would you come with me?" he blurted out, and immediately clamped his mouth shut, irritation in his eyes.

                Once she got past the shock of his request, Persephone decided that he hadn't meant to ask. And that made her wonder. She studied him, pushing aside her mother's voice in her head that was telling her that she shouldn't go alone with him. Shouldn't go with him at all! She felt the familiar rise of impetuosity that her mother hated.

                "Yes," she said recklessly, and saw surprise flare in his eyes.

                "You'll come?" he blurted, and she laughed, pushing her guinea-gold curls over her shoulder.

                "Yes," she said, laughing and tilting her face up to the sun for a moment. "Yes, I'll come with you."

                His tiny smile showed again for a brief second, but it sent a giddy thrill through her. She pushed down her mother's insistent voice in her head and followed him as he went to his team. They snorted angrily at them and he spoke to them in a tongue that Persephone didn't understand. She peered around his shoulder, and they screamed at her, the tendons in their necks straining with their rage. Biting her lip, she stepped quickly behind Hades again, feeling cowed and then hating herself for the feeling. They were only animals, after all, and she was a goddess. There was nothing for her to fear. But she couldn't tamp down on the fear that had seized her when they had nipped her teeth at her and screamed like a woman being murdered. Just the analogy made her shiver.

                Hades stepped back from the horses after saying a sharp word. "Don't be afraid of them," he said calmly. "They won't hurt you."

                Yeah right, she muttered to herself in her head. But she followed Hades to the chariot. He courteously allowed her in front, then stepped behind her. She froze  as she felt his warmth enfold her. Although his hands had been cool, his body was warm against hers, and it made her belly tighten up with an unfamiliar feeling that wasn't altogether unpleasant.

                His arms came up on either side of her and gripped the reins. The two horses reared, and Persephone felt something change in the air. As if something had shifted. She glanced around instinctively and saw her nymphs top the hill, their gazes searching frantically for her. She raised her hand to wave at them, then was forced to grip the edge of the chariot as the ground beneath them opened in a loud rumble that rolled through the hills. "Hang on," Hades murmured in her ear seconds before the ground crumbled beneath the chariot and the horses sent them coursing down into complete darkness as the earth closed above them.

_____________________________________________

**Author's Note:**

For readers of both this new story as well as my other two Harry Potter stories, I am so sorry about the delays on the new chapters. My computer has completely crashed, taking my stories with it. Because I was in the midst of a new chapter, I am unable to continue on either of them until I get my computer fixed. Therefore, updates will be infrequent, although hopefully not as infrequent as they have been. I'm working on getting the computer fixed as we speak, and once it is done then we'll be back to every-other-day updates.

~_Ailleann___


	2. Hades's Domain

            For one terrifying second Persephone was sure that she was going to go tumbling out of the chariot. But Hades's arms were firm on either side of her as he held the reins, as she found out when she bumped painfully against one. She resisted the urge to scream as the bottom dropped out of her stomach and it felt like they were free falling down into the immense tunnel that had opened in the earth. Only the horses seemed to be galloping on thin air, propelling them even further downwards. The bright light of the upper world faded, and for several seconds they were in complete inky blackness. Convulsively, her hands gripped at Hades's cool forearm until she heard his voice murmur in her ear, "There's nothing to fear, little one. You're safe with me."

            Moments later, she saw a pale, watery light from the opposite end of the tunnel, and felt the tight band of fear around her heart start to ease. The horses slowed their pace, and in a mere breath they burst out of the dank earth and into a huge cavern. Persephone's mouth opened in shock as she stared around, her blue eyes as round as saucers. The cavern was massive, and from high above the ground she could see the pitiful creatures that toiled below her. Frowning slightly, she leaned closer, then gasped. The creatures below her were people! Or at least they were what was left of people—their ghosts. She felt her stomach turn at their sluggish, defeated gaits.

            Hades turned the chariot with a quick snap of his wrist, the horses responding to his merest touch on the reins. He veered sharply away from the sight and they whisked through another tunnel, this one horizontal and obviously leading somewhere in the Underworld, not back to the surface. Persephone bit her lip anxiously and desperately wanted to look over her shoulder to speak to Hades, but she wasn't sure what to say. The creatures that she had seen had been completely defeated. She could feel their despair even still, and it churned her stomach. She was a goddess—an earth goddess, and therefore closest to humans. Although there was a great distance between humans and gods—they would never consort on an equal basis—her emotions were more in tune with them. And to see so _many _of them browbeaten and broken made her want to weep.

            Before she had time to ask Hades about the shades, they appeared in another area. This room didn't seem to be a room at all—but rather the metropolis of the Underworld. It seemed as though the earth had been complete carved out for miles to make room for the shining obsidian palace that stretched in front of them. Persephone caught her breath, stunned. The palace was gorgeous; easily the dark equal to Zeus's own in the sky. It seemed that the whole building was made of that same polished obsidian, a match for Hades's eyes. The sweeping, curved lines of the building were aesthetically gorgeous, and Persephone couldn't prevent the little gasp of pleasure.

            "You like it?" Hades's voice rumbled close to her ear. If she hadn't felt his steadying, warm presence at her back, she would have jumped in fright.

            She twisted her head around to smile brilliantly at him. "It's gorgeous, my lord!"

            Although he didn't smile, she sensed he was pleased. With an invisible movement of his hands, the horses moved forward and alighted on a terrace. Hades stepped out of the chariot and gave her his hand to help her down. She took it without thought, and unthinkingly didn't release it even once she was down. She looked around in wonder, her eyes shining. Although the Underworld was certainly different from her home—for one thing the light was much weaker here—there was a stark beauty that enthralled her.

            Hades glanced down at their entwined hands, bemused although his face was expressionless. She was so much different than he'd thought she'd be. He had watched her for years, and wondered about her. She seemed so childlike at times, the equal of her ridiculously silly companions. And other times she showed a maturity and natural grace and ability of leadership that fascinated him. She was as changeable as the weather, and he was obsessed with her. He had told himself that he would find out the secret of her eternally changing moods, and then he would leave it to rest. If the thought had occurred once or twice to make her his, he had dismissed it. He lived alone in his solitary domain, and that was the way that he chose it. Zeus had his consort, and Poseidon his, but Hades wanted no woman in his life. He _needed _no woman. Least of all a goddess who was barely out of childhood. And besides, if he took her, Demeter would probably castrate him. And despite his vow of leaving women alone, he didn't want to lose the _possibility _of having a woman.

            But Hermes had come a few years ago and told him that Zeus wanted counsel with him. He had made the trip to Mount Olympus and heard what his brother wanted. And unfortunately, it was the _last _thing that Hades wanted.

            Zeus wanted him wed.

            Hades had at first flatly refused, not giving a damn to the consequences. But instead of becoming angry, Zeus had tried to reason with him. "You're all alone in that gloomy place," Zeus said persuasively. "You need some warmth in your nights, Hades."

            "No, I don't," Hades said flatly, giving Zeus a glowering stare that had frightened many a mortal.

Unfortunately, Zeus was a god—and frankly not intimidated by his brother. So he persisted. "A woman would make your life easier, Hades."

            "How has it made yours easier?" Hades retorted, and Zeus had the grace to flush. His conquests were well known among gods and mortals alike, and usually he would have guffawed and waved Hades's comment aside. However, Zeus had just had a row with Hera over some like mortal tart named Danäe, and now the idiot chit was pregnant.

            "Damned women," Zeus muttered under his breath, and Hades nearly smirked at his brother's turnaround of statement. Zeus shook himself and started to glare at Hades.

            "I don't know what you're so happy about," he said flatly. "Either choose a bride—or I'll choose one for you."

            Hades's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Zeus held his ground, although he didn't like the look in Hades's eyes. Although he was fond of his brother—Hades was less temperamental than Poseidon and thus easier to be around—sometimes his brother frankly gave him chills. Must be from being among the dead for so long, Zeus thought in annoyance.

            "You won't marry me against my will," Hades said flatly.

            Zeus raised one eyebrow challengingly. "I am king," he said softly, but there was an edge to his voice. "_Your _king, Hades. We all agreed on that. And I want you wed."

            "But why?" Hades's voice was frustrated, showing a very rare display of emotion.

            Zeus sighed. "Because you need to be married, Hades. You rarely have any women at all, let alone a wife or mistress."

            "I don't belief my private life is any of your business," Hades said coolly, biting back the sharp retort that wanted to rise to his tongue.

            Zeus smiled angelically. "And unfortunately for you—I think it is. So find yourself a women within the next ten years, Hades, or I'll do it for you."

            That had been nine years ago. He had watched and waited, chafing at the restriction that his brother had placed on him. He had watched _her, _putting off the inevitable. Although he rarely showed them, he did have emotions, and he knew that to tie a creature such as the Spring Maiden to a creature like him would be sure death, and he didn't relish the thought of causing her distress. However, no other woman stirred anything in him. Not curiosity, not desire, not anything. But she made him feel—chaotic. He hadn't realized how much until he confronted her earlier. He had actually made a _joke. _A rather idiotic one, and he damned himself for saying it, but he had done it.

            He was the Lord of the Underworld. He didn't make _jokes. _Just the word was imbued with disdain, even in his thoughts. And he had blurted out that he wanted her to come with him. Where had _that _come from? He had been fully prepared to take her as soon as they came close to the chariot. But the words had tumbled forth of their own accord, and he had felt like a blathering, idiotic mortal. He had fully expected to have to snatch her to take her with him. Instead she had come of her own free will. Even as it made things easier, it made them more complicated. He didn't understand her motivation, and he didn't like puzzles. Death was simple and absolute. There were no mysteries or hidden agendas in Hades's world. And that made her an enigma to him, one that he was determined to solve.

            Because she discomfited him with her easiness with him, he gently disengaged his hand from hers. "Would you like to see inside, my lady?" he asked her remotely.

            She looked up at him, her eyes shining with pleasure. "Certainly, my lord!" He gave her his arm in a cool, controlled movement. She linked her arm comfortably through his, apparently oblivious or ignoring his suddenly cool attitude.

            A small frown line appeared between Hades's eyebrows and was almost immediately gone. He silently led her inside, and heard her muffled gasp of awe. The inside was just as dark as the outside. The furniture was all made of dark wood, and the house was so silent that they could hear their feet on the floors. Or at least Persephone could hear hers. Hades was still barefoot, so he moved silently beside her.

            Like a big cat, she thought, then blushed and suppressed the thought before he caught it. But she couldn't resist the comparison. He was so sleek and controlled, he reminded her of one of the huge panthers that she had seen before. She looked down to where her arm was entwined with his. They were so different. Despite her many days in the sun, her skin was as fair as the day she had been born, whereas his was a dusky shade of gold, as if _he _were the one frequently in the sun. It contrasted well against his dark eyes and hair, and she bit her lip as she stared up at him. His face was hard and chiseled, but his lips were unexpectedly sensuous. The bottom lip was slightly fuller than the upper, and she had a sudden image of herself nipping teasingly at that bottom lip.

            She sucked in her breath sharply, looking anxiously over at him to see if he had made the image. But he looked just as unconcerned and stern as he had before, so she slowly relaxed and considered the possibility that she had thought it up on her own. She narrowed her eyes, some of her pleasure for the house dimmed by the shock of knowing that she was attracted to the stern Lord of Souls.

            For the first time, she considered the consequences of her rash decision to accompany him. Her mother would be justifiably furious. Persephone didn't doubt that her companions had already rushed off to tell on her. She suppressed the immediate flare of annoyance. It seemed like that's what her friends were always doing. Running to her mother to report. Didn't anyone just want her for her? She wondered rebelliously. Her friends were her friends because Demeter needed people to keep her daughter close and away from men.

            On that thought, Persephone glanced sideways up at Hades and suppressed another smile. Obviously that hadn't worked out too well. She was strolling along with one of the most masculine men she had ever met. She flushed and lowered her lashes. She had briefly met Zeus, and hadn't liked him. He had leered at her, and she had hidden behind her mother. She hid a shiver. Zeus frankly frightened her. She was sheltered, but not deaf or dumb. She had heard of Zeus's numerous exploits, both of goddesses as well as mortal women, and had no desire to become one of their number. In some ways, she was grateful for her mother's strict protection. But most of the time she chafed, wondering if there was anything out there in the world that she would never see because of her mother's overprotective streak.__

_            Mother can't find me here_, Persephone thought resentfully, then immediately squashed the thought. It was unworthy of her, and unfair besides. Her mother only cared about Persephone's welfare. 

            As she and Hades continued to walk through the long corridor, each immersed in their own thoughts, a plan suddenly emerged in Persephone's mind. Shocked at her own temerity, she shoved it away. But it continued to niggle the edges of her mind until she allowed herself to consider it. She looked up at Hades again, seeing the bleakness in his eyes. She felt her natural compassion rise in her, but she pushed it down and tried to see him objectively. He was a handsome man; she had already admitted that to herself. But was he a kind man? And did she trust him enough from their short acquaintance that she would trust her virtue with him?

            She nearly laughed. What was she so worried about? She was _already_ risking her virtue with him. And he had been perfectly polite and proper with her. So there was nothing to worry about. She felt a smile of relief spread over her features and ignored the little worry that still nudged impatiently at her mind. She took a deep breath to try to bolster her courage, then looked up at Hades through her lashes.

            "My lord?" she asked tentatively, hoping she wasn't unduly disturbing his thoughts.

            He glanced down at her, his dark eyes expressionless. "My lady?"

            "My lord—"she hesitated. Now that she had decided what she wanted to ask, she wasn't sure she could force it out. Finally she blurted out, "May I stay here with you?"

            He gaped at her, and from his dumbstruck expression she surmised that she had totally floored him. "I beg your pardon?" he said, his voice sounding much like his expression looked.

            She bit her lip and stared up at him pleadingly. "Well, you saw some of my companions. They seem to have nothing between their ears but air. I can't stand it. And they're always reporting on what I do to my mother. But none of them can get down here, and neither can my mother. Would you mind a house-guest terribly? I'm so sorry to invite myself, or to impose on you, but—"

            She was abruptly cut off when he made an abrupt gesture with one hand. She looked up at him, her lashes trembling with tears, although none fell down her cheeks. Her mouth was soft and full, her cheeks flushed and her hair tousled. Hades felt his body stiffen, and he clenched his jaw. _Great Gaia_, he swore mentally. _She looks like she's just been thoroughly had_. And damned if he didn't want to be the man doing the having.

            He pushed those thoughts away violently. That wasn't what he needed to think about now. He needed to consider her shocking proposal. "What precisely are you suggesting, lady?" he asked her cautiously.

            She blushed furiously. "I'm so sorry!" she blurted out. "Just—forget I said it. I'm sorry!" She started to whirl away from him, her hands pressed to her hot cheeks, but he caught her elbow in a firm grip and made her face him.

            "I wasn't refusing you, lady," he said with a calm that he didn't feel. "But I want to know exactly what you're proposing."

            She looked hesitant. "Well—I just wondered if you wouldn't mind having me as a guest for a little while. Maybe a few days or so. Not very long." She worried at her lip with her little white teeth. Hades watched her teeth gnaw at her lip with something akin to glazed fascination. He felt like he could watch her all day. He wanted to replace her teeth with his own. Then he shook himself, feeling slightly frantic. Gods, it was getting worse. The longer he was around her the more he wanted her. Then he forced himself to process what she had said. When he thought about it, he nearly sighed. _Oh, little one. If you stay here, it won't be for a few days. It will be for eternity._

But he certainly didn't voice those thoughts aloud. He studied her in silence, then said coolly, "I could never refuse hospitality to a lady."   

            She blinked, seemingly stunned. "You—you don't mind?" she stammered, and he felt amusement tickle his stomach.

            "No," he said blandly. "I don't mind at all. In fact, I can show you to your room right now."

            She suddenly seemed to light up with the blaze of a thousand suns. Hades nearly had to close his eyes at the luminance of her. She was so happy that she fairly _glowed. _She hugged his forearm to her breast with a shocking lack of modesty. "Oh, my lord! Thank you so much!"

            He jerked his arm away from her, feeling as if he had been branded by the warmth of her body. She looked startled, then she flushed. Before she could apologize, he said darkly, "This way."

            She bit her lip, then said hesitantly, "My lord?"

            He gritted his teeth. Emotions were bombarding him, and he didn't like it. And considering that she was the cause of it, he didn't like her much right now. Instead he turned slowly on his heel to stare forbiddingly at her. "Yes?"

            She didn't cower under his glare; instead, she just stared back at him calmly. She seemed to have regained her confidence abruptly, and her sudden shift in mood confused him for a moment. "Would you mind showing me the rest of the house?" she asked him quietly. "It's a lovely house, my lord."

            He hesitated, and then stepped back toward her, seemingly slightly mollified. "If you'd like," he said coolly.

            She lifted her chin, nodding firmly. "I would very much like to," she said quietly. "As long as I'm not taking you from anything important."

            He stared at her for a moment, an arrested look in his eyes. "No," he said shortly. "You're not. Come along." He strode down the hall, fully expecting her to tag along in his wake. But to his inward surprise, she doggedly kept abreast of him, her eyes flickering over the house eagerly.

            Throughout the mostly silent tour, Hades watched her surreptiously. She didn't seem cowed by his cool reserve, but was still bright and bubbling with life and energy. He felt a pang of guilt. Would she remain this lovely, glorious nymph once she hadn't seen the sunlight for years? Once she realized that the Underworld was a cold and lonely realm—much like its master?

            He shoved away the thought. He hadn't bothered with a conscience for millennia. Now wasn't a good time to acquire one. Finally he stopped and said remotely, "You've seen the house now, my lady. Would you like to rest? You seem fatigued." In all actuality, she didn't, but he was. Her energy was draining for someone who lived a very sedate life.

            She looked up at him, her blue eyes searching his dark ones. He resisted the urge to drop his eyes away from hers. Those sapphire eyes of hers seemed too knowing; he felt as if she could see into his very soul.

            On the heels of the thought he wondered, Do I even have a soul? Then he pushed that thought away rebelliously and said icily, "Come along, my lady."

            "Persephone," she said softly, and he turned back to look at her. She hadn't moved from where they had stopped, and she had her hands folded into the folds of her skirt.

            "I beg your pardon?" he said coolly.

            "My name is Persephone," she said gently. "Since I am to be your guest, it would please me if you would call me Persephone."

            He stared at her, his face expressionless. He understood that she was offering him a token of peace and friendship, and expected him to reciprocate. His lips tightened. He wasn't the gentle man that she seemed to think he was. Even if he wanted to, he could never be that man for her. It was best for her to realize that now. He turned on his heel and strode away, saying coldly over his shoulder, "Come along, little one."

            Behind his back, Persephone closed her eyes and let out a little breath of disappointment. She had thought that he would ask her to call him by his name too. Instead he had almost looked angry; but then, he never showed his emotions anyway. She felt pity well up, and immediately crushed it. She could already tell that he was proud—what god wasn't? He would deeply resent her pity, and she didn't want to offend him more than she obviously already had. Feeling disappointed but not defeated, Persephone followed him, her jaw set stubbornly. She'd see him smile, she promised herself. Just once. Then she would be satisfied.

            Immersed in her own thoughts, she didn't see him stop until she almost ran into him. In fact, she did run into him. She was brought abruptly to a halt when she crashed into him and then bounced off. Only his quick turn and his grip on her arms saved her from going crashing to the floor. "You're a clumsy cat, aren't you?" he said curtly, his eyes sharp.

            Persephone bit her lip and didn't answer. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I was—thinking."

            "Well don't walk and think at the same time," Hades told her curtly. "I wouldn't want you going home to your mother hurt. She'd have my head more than she already will."

            Persephone bit the inside of her cheek, her distressed eyes looking up at him. She knew he was right. Demeter would have his head for letting her daughter stay here unescorted—or at least give him a scathing lecture. But Persephone couldn't resist the temptation. Here she was _free_—free of her mother's well-meaning observance, and free of the duties of her position. Although she regretted that Hades had become involved in the rapidly rising power struggle between Persephone and her mother, she wouldn't change her decision.

            "I'm sorry," Persephone apologized meekly, although her eyes glittered up at him through her lowered lashes. "I know that my mother can sometimes be overprotective."

            Hades snorted, an oddly unrestrained sound coming from a man who was so contained. It brought Persephone's head up to stare at him in surprise. "Your mother isn't overprotective, little cat. She's damn near like a father, rather than a mother."

            "She's had to be both," Persephone said, rallying to her mother's defense despite her own dispute with her.

            Hades's mouth curled very, very slightly. "Don't like people to talk badly about your mother, little cat?" he asked her, his voice very deep and sending a thrill up Persephone's spine.

            She didn't respond, just hung limply from his grip and stared up into his eyes that seemed as though they were shards of the blackest night. In a daze, she felt his thumb brush very gently over the skin of her arm where he held her. Her breath came out in a gushing sigh, feeling pleasure skim through her. Her eyelids fluttered, but they remained fixed on his. She saw his lips compress, then he released her and turned back to open a door.

            She nearly collapsed when she suddenly regained her full weight. Blushing, she righted herself, then peeked under his arm into the room that he had opened. She gasped, her eyes flying wide in awe. "Oh, my lord! Is this room really mine?"

            "Really," he said dryly, but she was already rushing inside to look around.

            The room was enormous, and everything was black. The sheets, the curtains, and the furniture. However, everything shone. Much like Hades's eyes, Persephone thought dreamily. She looked back over her shoulder at him, unaware of the admiration that was starting to build in her eyes.

            Hades saw it and recognized it for what it was. Infatuation. He felt another irritating pang of guilt, and pushed it away. I _haven't done anything to her_, he told himself. She's made up this silly infatuation on her own, not I.

            But that conscience that he didn't want whispered, _But you haven't done anything to discourage it, have you? She's never seen a man before. You'll be her first—in all the ways that matter._

            He viciously shoved that thought away. He didn't want to think that he was taking _too _much advantage of her. The silly chit had chosen to come here with him, and had invited herself to remain here. Certainly there were things that he was concealing from her, but a man couldn't be expected to tell his woman everything, could he?

            Feeling slightly better, he said, "I'll leave you here, my lady. When would you like to dine?"

            "Dine?" she said blankly, and he nearly rolled his eyes.

            "_Yes, _my lady. I'm not going to starve you."

            "Oh!" she said anxiously, rushing toward him but stopping just short of flinging herself into his arms. "I didn't think that! Honestly I didn't!"

            Since she looked so distressed at the thought that she had insulted him, he did his awkward best to try to reassure her. "Very well then. We'll dine in two hours." Then he turned on his heel and strode out, ready to get away from the emotions that she was causing in him. They were too new—much too confusing. He needed some peace and quiet.

            Persephone went to the door and watched as he strode purposefully down the hallway, his bare feet making no sound on the floor. She didn't notice the smile that spread across her face, or the admiration that shone from her eyes when she looked his way. All she knew was that she felt a great affection for the man already.

            Humming softly to herself, she danced back into her room to explore.

* * * * * * * *

            Two hours later, Hades threw down the scroll he was reading in disgust. Gods, that woman frustrated him! He felt as if he could feel her presence through the house, although his study was at the opposite end from her room. He glanced at the doorway, which remained securely locked. No one interrupted him while he was in his study. Feeling safe, he rose to pace feverishly across the room.

            She was tying him up knots. She was making him have a _conscience, _for Gaia's sake! He didn't want a conscience, and he didn't want her, he thought mutinously. Then he imagined what he had felt as she crashed into him.

            Her soft body and breasts had been pressed against his back, and all he had wanted to do was to turn and gather her up into his arms and completely ravish her. But that wasn't going to happen yet, he thought bleakly. But it would come. And then she would hate him. Just as she had glowed today with happiness, soon she would hate him just as ferverently. And there was nothing that he could do to ease her pain. Even if she loved him, instead of this infatuation that she was building, he didn't imagine that she could forgive him such a trespass as he was planning against her.

            And then—he swore. She had trembled in his arms. He had felt it, and seen her eyes darken with a woman's passion, coupled with a virgin's confusion and innocence. The combination was enough to make him want to kick something. She inspired such feelings in him—he who would have gladly lasted for all eternity without them. He had watched her for years and been comfortable with the fascination that he held for her. But now, to have her at his side and to hear her voice talking to him were nearly overwhelming. He was bombarded with emotions—protectiveness, lust, anger, and most of all was confusion. He didn't understand her. She presented a huge puzzle to him, and although he had promised himself that he would unearth all her mysteries, he wasn't sure he wanted to anymore. He barely knew her and already she was tying him up in knots. What would happen if he actually got to know her?

            Hades swore viciously in several tongues and hurled the scroll against the wall. If he hadn't tempered his strength, it would have cracked the wall. Instead it only dented it, something he fixed with an ill-tempered wave of his hand a moment later. Swearing under his breath, Hades turned toward the door. It was time for dinner. He wondered if he would survive it.


	3. Bittersweet Desserts

A/N: I'm not too clear on dining rituals in ancient Greece, so everyone will have to bear with me. I'm planning on taking a class on Greek Culture next semester, but that's next semester. I don't think I should wait to write this chapter until then. :) I haven't changed the rating of the whole story because as far as I know so far, this is the only chapter that would earn an R rating. So—warning before you read, this _chapter _is rated a soft R. And if that doesn't bother you, then read onward!

* * *

By the time that Hades made his way to his own dining room, Persephone was already there. He stopped in the recesses of the doorway, his eyes narrowed as he watched her. She illuminated the dark room simply with her presence—already it seemed brighter than he had always seen it. She wandered throughout the large room, studying the priceless art and jewels that were scattered randomly throughout the room. Although the room was tasteful, it was also austere, just like its master. He could already see her itching to move things around, and he felt a little bubble of dark amusement in his chest, although his eyes didn't smile.

  
He moved silently into the room and toward her. She turned, her eyes gleaming with pleasure, and found him very close to her. She yelped—a very undignified sound for a goddess, no matter how young—and jumped instinctively away from him. His hands whipped out and slid around her upper arms to hold her still.

  
"My lord!" she gasped, staring up at him with huge eyes. "My lord, you frightened me!"

  
"Apparently so," he said dryly, and he saw her mouth twitch before she said repressively, "You should make more noise! Or do you always sneak up on people?"

  
He arched one dark eyebrow at her in a supercilious movement. "When I choose," he said dismissively, and saw her remember that he was one of the oldest gods—Zeus's brother. But then, bloodlines didn't mean too much to the gods. At least not in romantic terms.

  
She dropped her eyes to stare resolutely at his sternum. "I apologize for my shrewish behavior, my lord," she said meekly. Since she wasn't looking at his face, she didn't see his brows drop down over his eyes in consternation. He had wanted her to be the meek and obedient woman that he had always envisioned in a wife—Chaos forbid, nothing like Hera—but now that he had her, he wanted back his little spitfire.

  
"You weren't acting like a shrew," he said curtly. "You have no need to apologize, Persephone."

  
Her gaze flew back to his eyes, and her smile burst forth like the sun from the clouds. "You said my name," she breathed, and he blinked in surprise. So he had.

  
"Yes, my lady," he said coolly. "Did you not ask me to do so?"

  
She deflated. "Yes," she admitted. "It's just—earlier you weren't calling me that. You called me 'little cat'."

  
Hades eyed her frostily. "Did you not like the epithet? I thought it accurate."

  
"Accurate?" she repeated curiously. "Do I seem catlike to you, my lord?" She arched one eyebrow at him in a gesture he knew was similar to his own. And since he recognized it, he also recognized that she was subtly teasing him.

  
His fingers slid slowly up her throat to grip her very gently beneath the jawline. Her eyes flew to his, her mouth opening slightly in surprise. He leaned closer to her, and saw the brief flare of panic in her eyes, only to be replaced by confused heat. "You're little, and delicate," he breathed, his eyes on hers. "Playful. Like a kitten."

  
She stared up at him, momentarily speechless. Finally she whispered, "I like it, my lord."

  
A slow, almost cruel smile curled his lips. "So I gathered, little one." He released her slowly, letting his fingertips trail down her silken throat before he removed them. He saw her convulsive shiver, and saw that her pulse was pounding in her throat. With a sense of satisfaction, he knew that she was starting to realize that she wanted him. And perhaps that she had penned herself in with a very dangerous creature.

  
"Shall we dine?" he asked silkily, and she nodded unsteadily. He seated her on one of the couches, and almost as if they had been waiting, several nymphs hurried into the room and made obseiences before the pair. Persephone blinked rapidly. She had expected them to make the gesture to Hades—he was their lord—but she hadn't expected it to be aimed at her as well. She looked up at Hades for guidance, wondering what it meant. But he wasn't looking at her—rather, he was looking at one of the nymphs. Startled, Persephone turned to look and saw that the nymph was staring at her with her mouth open in shock.

  
Persephone gave her a puzzled look, then leaned closer to Hades. "What's wrong with her?" she whispered, trying to keep her voice low so the nymph in question didn't hear her.  
Hades never took his eyes off the nymph, whose mouth had snapped shut and had rapidly exited the room. "She's just surprised to see you here, little cat."

  
Persephone suppressed a shiver at his dark, sensual voice saying her new epithet from him. Then she forced herself to focus on his words. "I'm sure she would be surprised—I'm here unescorted, and no one probably knows where I am." She bit her lip, suddenly realizing that her mother would probably be dreadfully worried.

  
As if he had heard the thought—which she knew he hadn't, gods didn't intrude upon one another's thoughts—he turned to face her, his eyes intense. "Don't worry about your mother, little one," he murmured softly, his fingertips brushing lightly over hers as he reached for his goblet sitting before him. "She'll be just fine."

  
Persephone nibbled on her lip anxiously, and Hades couldn't resist the compulsion to watch her in fascination. "But she'll be so worried," she fretted. "I don't want her to worry, I just want to get away from her!"

  
There was a low rumble in Hades's chest that Persephone realized was his version of laughter. Although in anyone else it would have been just a threatening rumble, she realized that this god never laughed, and this was as close as he would probably ever come. She smiled to herself, knowing that in some way she had amused him.

  
"You've certainly done that," he said dryly. He hesitated for a second, then awkwardly patted her hand. "Don't worry, little cat. Your mother will survive."

  
"I know," she said miserably. "I guess I was a little foolish, to think that she wouldn't worry."

  
"Yes, you were," Hades said blandly, and she shot him a dark look from beneath her lashes. She saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes again, though his mouth didn't curve. Nettled, she dipped one finger into the soft golden cream sitting on the plate before her. She licked her finger clean delicately and then glanced over at Hades to see him staring at her, his lips slightly parted in shock. She felt heat climb up over her throat and spread over her face.

  
"Do I have something on my face?" she mumbled self-consciously, dropping her gaze to her hands as she watched her fingers pleat her skirt nervously.

  
She felt his cool fingers tip up her chin so she could meet his eyes. They were intense—almost frightening. She tried to drop her gaze away from his, but his fingers were firm on her chin, holding her immobile. "Look at me," he breathed, and his voice was so gentle—so different—that her eyes flew to meet his. Immediately she froze, her breathing suspended in her throat. His eyes were intense, and they pinned her without struggle. She didn't even notice the nymphs silently leave the room, leaving them completely alone.

  
"My lord—"she began, but then his thumb brushed over her lips, rendering her silent.

  
"Don't," he said softly. "Say it."

  
"Say what?" she murmured, her eyes flicking nervously up to his as she stared resolutely at the bridge of his nose.

  
She saw his mouth move slightly, and could have sworn that it curved. "Say my name, Persephone."

  
Her startled eyes flashed up to his. "But my lord, you—"

  
She saw his mouth harden. "Say it," he said harshly. "I want to hear you. I want to hear it on your lips."

  
She blinked, then he saw her eyes soften helplessly. He looked so alone, so desperate for one moment that she couldn't help but feel her compassion stir for him. Without reservation or thought, she raised her fingertips to lie gently on his cheek. She felt his body jerk convulsively beneath her touch, but knew that it wasn't from revulsion. He was staring at her with a look in his eyes that she knew he wouldn't like if he knew he wore it. He looked—desperate. Like the only thing keeping him alive was that her fingers rested like a butterfly on his cheek.

  
"Hades," she murmured, and saw his eyes flare. "My lord Hades."

  
"No," he said hoarsely. "Just Hades."

  
She smiled serenely. "Hades," she repeated, her voice a tender caress. His eyes closed for a moment, as if he were savoring the sound of his name on her lips. Then he opened them and stared at her. She was terribly conscious of his fingers on her chin, and his gaze that moved slowly over her face.

  
He leaned closer to her, and she stared at him in shock and trepidation. "Don't be afraid of me," he whispered. "I'd never hurt you, little one."

  
Staring into his hard, almost cruel face, she felt the icy edge of premonition grip her suddenly. "Swear it!" she said hoarsely, her fingers going to his wrist and wrapping around. Her slender figures barely spanned his wrist, only emphasizing how much stronger he was. "Swear it by Styx."

  
He blinked down at her, seeming to withdraw slightly. "I beg your pardon?"

  
"Swear it," she said stonily. "You're a hard god, Hades. I want your oath-bound word that you'll not hurt me."

  
He stared at her in silence, his face seeming to be engraved in stone. Finally he said solemnly, "I swear by the great Styx, that I will never physically harm you, Persephone."

  
She instantly relaxed, the terrible tension draining from her muscles. She didn't notice the condition he had placed upon his oath. She wouldn't have thought it important even if she had noticed. She looked up at him and smiled slightly. "Thank you, Hades."

  
He stared at her in silence, and she could see the silent war playing itself out behind his eyes. "I would never hurt you," he said slowly. "Even without the oath, little cat."

  
She smiled, and without thought she brushed her fingertips over his cheek again. "I believe you," she said softly. "But I had to be sure." She smiled impishly. "After all, I am here alone. A lady has to protect her virtue." She winked at him, and heard him suck in his breath sharply.

  
"And that's being a lady?" he asked sharply. She blinked over at him.

  
"What?"

  
"That," he said furiously. "That—vulgar gesture!"

  
"What vulgar gesture?" she asked in confusion. "I haven't done anything!"

  
He looked absolutely infuriated, a fact that she nearly cowered from. Instead she held her ground, although her hands trembled in the face of his very formidable anger. "You. . .winked!" He said icily, nearly snarling with rage. "You will never make that gesture toward any man, Persephone!"

  
This time she did flinch. Although she had his oath not to harm her, it was an instinctive reaction. "I don't understand!" she said tearfully. They had been so close a moment before, and now he was yelling at her! What had happened? "What did I do, Hades?"

  
He rose to his feet, his anger nearly crackling the air around him. He didn't pace, although she sensed that he had the intense desire to do so. His black robes flared around his body as he took a few steps away from her. "Persephone," he said with exaggerated calm, "I know you are a gently bred girl, one who has been kept away from men for most of her life."

  
"Yes," she said cautiously, still feeling the dampness on her lashes. She eyed him warily.

  
"However," He said, his voice heating slowly, "That is no reason for common sense to elude you. I am a male, and you are a female. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

  
"No," she said slowly. "I don't, Hades. Could you please be more specific?"

"Fine," he said, some of his icy façade cracking. "Persephone, you are a woman, and I am a man. There are limits to my patience. You drive me to want you, Persephone."  
  
She blinked rapidly. "Want me?" she asked blankly, and he nearly groaned. Gods, could any woman be more sheltered?  
  
He stepped toward her swiftly and knelt at her feet. The motion was so swift, and she was so startled to see the Lord of the Underworld kneeling before her that she was held speechless and immobile. "Persephone," he said hoarsely. "It means this." His hands came up and slid into her hair, scattering pins and causing the golden mass to come tumbling down around her shoulders. She blinked rapidly, but made no outward protest against his actions.  
  
He threaded his fingers through her hair, and then drew her down to his mouth. His lips brushed hers, and she gasped in surprise. Taking advantage of her opened mouth, he slid his tongue along the edges of her lips and then inside to caress her tongue. He could feel her trembling, but knew from her tentative touches on his shoulders that it wasn't from fear. He pulled her closer to him, still kissing her gently. She whimpered softly into his mouth, and he drew away.  
  
Her eyes whipped open, and she stared at him shock. "Why?" she whispered. "Why did you leave?"  
  
He felt his blood surge, making him almost dizzy. But despite that he was intoxicated with her taste, there was a small, cold part of his mind that knew precisely what he was doing and why. He could not allow her to leave him. And if that meant taking advantage of her naïveté, then it had be done.  
  
"Nothing, darling," he whispered softly, using his velvet dark voice to persuade her. Her eyes slid shut, and he saw her pulse hammer in her throat. He felt his body surge at the knowledge that he could seduce her with only his voice.  
  
He rose from where he knelt in front of her on the couch, then seated himself again. "Will you kiss me again?" he asked her, staring at her from beneath lowered lashes.  
  
She caught her breath, and nodded her head mutely. "I don't—I don't know what to do," she whispered, and he nearly smiled.  
  
"But I do, my sweet," he murmured, leaning closer to her. She didn't draw away from him, merely stared in fascination as he came closer. He wrapped his fingers gently around her upper arms and drew her to him. When he pulled her so far that she couldn't sit comfortably, she rose on her knees, staring at him with a dazed look in her eyes. He felt a pang of guilt, knowing that she had absolutely no idea what was going to happen, and no way to stop it. Then those thoughts were swept away when she unselfconsciously slid her leg over to straddle his legs.  
  
He felt his heart hammer so hard he was sure it was going to burst. When she gave him a tentative look, he smiled at her and drew her so that she was against his chest. Then he dipped his head and captured her mouth with his again. He caressed and teased, took and gave until she was whimpering, shifting anxiously on his lap, unsure of what she wanted so badly.  
  
When she slid her hands over his flat stomach, he felt his muscles jump anxiously in response. Her eyes flew to his anxiously. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" she asked, her eyes afraid and nervous.  
  
"No," he said hoarsely. "You didn't hurt me. Quite the opposite."  
  
She bit her lip, and with a low growl he moved her teeth aside and nipped teasingly at the same place. He moved his kisses down her throat, his fingers brushing at her robes teasingly, until she pressed herself against him, her fingers digging into his shoulders anxiously.

Abruptly she shoved anxiously at his shoulders. It took him a moment to realize that she was no longer trembling with desire, but with apprehension. He pushed himself up on his elbows to look at her face. She stared up at him, tears trembling on her lashes. The sight hit him in the gut like a hammer. "What's wrong?" he asked hoarsely, not sure if it was from emotional or physical pain that his voice was so rough. He hated to see the distress in her face, but his body was also aching.

"I don't think this is right," she sniffled. "I just don't, Hades!"

"How is not right?" he said persuasively, feeling his heart flutter. He wouldn't force her—it was against his oath as well as his intentions—but he planned on having her tonight. "Does it not feel right, little cat?"

She stared up at him with such fear and trust that he felt a funny little clutch at his heart again. "But, my lord, my mother says that women should only submit to their husbands."

"Submit what?" Hades asked her gently, his eyes glittering as he damned Demeter for her foresight.

He watched in fascination as a blush crawled over her cheeks. "Submit themselves," she mumbled.

Trying to fight his reluctant amusement, Hades cupped her face in his large hands. "Submit what of themselves, little cat? Their will? You have not done that. Your will is your own, and I have not attempted to take it from you."

Persephone bit her lip nervously. "I don't think that's what she means, my lord," she stammered.

"Then what does she mean?" he asked her coaxingly, using his sensual voice to his advantage. He saw her eyes flare, and felt her body move restlessly beneath his.

"It means—it means that I should not be doing this," she said in a rush, putting her hands over her face to hide her shame. Her mother would be absolutely livid for what she had done tonight. If she gave herself to Hades—there would be no returning.

Hades gently removed her hands from her face. "Little one, you don't have to give yourself to me," he said quietly. "Not if you don't want to. But I don't think it is such a great sin if I hold you for a while. Maybe kiss you. Such things mortal lovers do—there is no sin in this."

Persephone looked hesitant. "Are you sure?"

"Quite," he said smoothly. "Am I not one of the oldest gods? We made these laws, little cat, and I know precisely how to keep them." _Or break them, _he silently amended, although his steady black gaze gave nothing of his thoughts to her.

She hesitated again, then said something so low that Hades couldn't hear her. He blinked. "I couldn't hear you, little cat."

She looked up at him hesitantly. "All right," she whispered. "But—but just until I say no."

"Of course," he said immediately, feeling another pang of guilt. By the time he was done with her, she wouldn't _want _to say no.

She eyed him, not quite sure how to resume what they had been doing. With a predatory smile, Hades lowered his mouth to her throat and pressed gentle kisses to the soft column. He could feel her shift restlessly beneath his body, and felt himself harden even more. Her fingers wandered over his back, making him feel a little lightheaded.

Although he was wholly unprepared for the emotions that she evoked in him, he also didn't dwell on the newness of it. He had to concentrate solely on her. He was going to have her tonight and bind her to him so that not even Demeter could take her from him. He didn't know how long he lay there, holding her and kissing her before she began to shift against him again, a small movement that betrayed her impatience.

He felt a little kernel of satisfaction bloom as he smoothly slid his fingers around to travel up and down her spine. She instinctively arched from the touch, pressing her body further against his. She made a little whimper in the back of her throat, moving against him again. Hades continued the soft touches for a long moment before he brushed a gentle fingertip from the dip in her waist to the curve of her breast. She stiffened against him, but Hades was relentlessly as he swept back down. A moment later, she relaxed against him. Hades chanced a look down at her, and saw that her eyes were closed, her lips parted slightly. His hands nearly trembled with the urge to possess her right then. But he ruthlessly pulled himself back under control.

Touching her delicately, he made sure that his hands smoothed over every inch of her body so she would become accustomed to his touch. He kept his kisses leisurely, until she squirmed against him. He lifted his mouth long enough to whisper, "What do you want?"

"I don't know," she whimpered. "I ache."

He felt a bolt of pure lust, and his hands trembled before he stilled them. He laid his hand on her breast and kneaded gently. She gasped sharply, arching into the touch. He couldn't suppress the triumphant smile or the glitter in his eyes, although her eyes were closed so she could see him. "Is this what you want, little one? You must tell me."

"Yes," she gasped. "Yes, it is." Then she was clutching at his shoulders as she pulled him back down again.

* * *

Hades stared down at Persephone as she lay beneath him. Her glorious halo of hair was tousled, her cheeks still flushed from pleasure. He should have felt triumphant. But all he felt was disappointment and sadness. In himself. As if having the emotions weren't bad enough, he was doubting himself for the first time in centuries. She had done that to him. Made him doubt his own judgement.

But it no longer mattered. She had given herself to him. She was no longer a virgin. She had effectively signed her own marriage writ, because her mother wasn't going to take her from Hades now that he had taken her maidenhead. She had given herself to him for all eternity, whether or not she knew it. And he had an aching feeling that she didn't know it.

He sat up, carefully drawing her robe over her so she wasn't chilled. He scrubbed his hands over his face in a gesture uncharacteristic of him. He felt bone-weary even as he felt energized. His body was sated and happy, but his mind was in turmoil. Seeing her blood staining the couch made him feel vaguely sick to his stomach. It wasn't that he had hurt her that made him uneasy—although her pain had been gone in but an instant. It was the fact that he had taken advantage of the innocence that drew him to her. She had trusted him, and he had taken advantage of her.

He rubbed his hands over his face again, then pulled on his robe and gently dressed her. She remained asleep, her breathing regular and heavy. Just the feel of her silken skin beneath his hands made his blood quicken, even though he had just had her. But he forced himself to handle her as if she were a child, tenderly dressing her and pulled her into his arms.

He stepped into the hallway and was confronted by the nymph who Persephone had noticed earlier. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the tears falling silently down her cheeks. "What are you doing here, Menthe?" he asked quietly, his voice a rumble of quiet thunder in his chest.

"Why did you bring her here, my lord?" she whispered hoarsely. "Did I not satisfy you?"

_I don't have time for this,_ he thought irritably, keeping the thought to himself.

"Menthe, you were a wonderful woman," he said passionlessly, his tone of voice almost giving lie to the words. "But Persephone is going to be my queen."

"But I should have been your queen!" she hissed, and Hades nearly blinked in surprise. The chit actually thought he would have taken her as his queen? He was the Lord of Souls, second only to Zeus himself. His consort would be none but a goddess in her own right.

"Menthe, you would never have been my queen," he said coolly. "You made that fantasy for yourself. I never mentioned such a thing."

Her tears started to flow faster, and if Hades had been any other god he would have shifted impatiently. "But it was understood, my lord!" Her voice had started to rise, and Persephone shifted slightly in Hades arms. Immediately Menthe was forgotten as he glanced down quickly at her face. She was frowning slightly, then she curled closer to his body, pressing her face to the bare skin of his throat.

He could have sworn he felt his heart hit his stomach. That gesture was so full of trust, of innocence. All the things that he treasured in his little cat. His throat was hot and tight, and he stayed for a moment with his head bowed, trying to get himself under control. Then he raised his head and saw Menthe was looking at Persephone with venom in her eyes. Immediately his eyes flashed with fire, and he drew himself up to his full height. "Menthe, this lady will be your queen. If you cannot control yourself to show her the respect that is due her, I will remove you from my realm."

Menthe stared at him in stricken horror. She fell to her knees and almost crawled to him, her eyes pleading. "Oh no, my lord! Please do not send me away!"

"Get up," he told her curtly, stepping back from her. She quickly obeyed, her tears still sliding like liquid diamonds down her flawless cheeks. "Go to your sisters, Menthe."

She hesitated, then nodded and walked away, her shoulders slumped and shaking slightly as she wept. Hades gave her no more than a thought before he strode toward Persephone's chamber. Once inside, he gently settled her in bed, making sure that she was comfortable and warm.

Then he merely stood at her bedside, staring at her face and feeling his heart tremble and fill with emotion. He closed his eyes for a second, praying that someday he would be forgiven for what he had done to her. He didn't want her to wake—because when she woke she would no longer have such blind trust in him. She would hate him, and he already knew that it would rip him apart.

He took a shaky breath, then leaned down and caressed her cheek with his lips very softly. "Good dreaming, my love," he whispered, then withdrew from the room, closing the door behind him. In the darkness of the room, light gleamed from the single teardrop that had fallen on her silken cheek.


End file.
